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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · fan · mate · mouse · tube · trunk · ruler · kick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — to tease
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — child
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com